A member of a notorious kidnap gang in Ogun State, Usman Aliyu, has been arrested.
His arrest on December 14, 2022, is the result of an aggressive bush combing exercise embarked upon by men of Ogun state Police Command in search of the escaped members of the kidnap gang.
Recall that two members of a deadly kidnap gang at Onigbedu forest in Ewekoro local government area of Ogun state, were arrested recently.
The suspect was arrested following an information received by policemen at Ewekoro divisional headquarters that he (the suspect) was sighted taking a commercial motorcycle at Onigbedu area moving towards Papalanto en route Lagos.
Upon the information, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Ewekoro division, CSP Sunday Opebiyi, quickly mobilized his men on stop and search along that road and the suspect was subsequently identified and promptly arrested.
On interrogation, he confessed being a member of the kidnap gang, whose two members were earlier arrested and a victim rescued from them.
He informed the police that they were six in number, and that when two amongst them were apprehended, the other members ran into different directions in the forest.
But since policemen were not relenting in searching for them in the bush, he decided to come out and take a commercial motorcycle out of that vicinity.
He confessed further that it was their gang that was responsible for the kidnap of one Owolabi Abiodun and one Fakorede Kazeem at Kipe Village, Idi ori Abeokuta on October 7, 2022, but Fakorede Kazeem was killed by the gang because he was unable to walk fast while they were being taken away in the bush.
The gang according to him also kidnapped the duo of Adekunle Esther 10 years old and Adekunle Adebayo 15 years old at Olomowewe Street, Rounder, Abeokuta on the October 10, 2022.
He confessed further that, on the October 19, 2022,the gang kidnapped one Mrs Famurewa at Abule Ijaye Soyooye, Abeokuta at the entrance of their house after killing her 65 years old husband, one Festus Famurewa and later released the wife after collecting ransom.
Also, on the November 16, 2022, the duo of Olatunji Azeez and Osoba Moroof were kidnapped by the same gang at Olujobi Town, Itori, but were later set free after collecting ransom.
All the victims, including the two kids have come forward to identify the suspects as those who abducted them .
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, who praised members of the public for supporting the police by giving them necessary information has given assurance that other members of the gang would be fished out wherever they might be, as the command would make the state not conducive for them to operate.
